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Student Eligibility and Requirements

What is it?
The Trademark Clinic is a vital component of the Small Business Law Center (SBLC) that focuses on providing legal assistance in the practice area of trademark law. Students who participate in the Trademark Clinic will have the opportunity to directly assist clients who want to obtain federal trademark or service mark registrations from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Students will be guided during representation by a licensed California attorney, but students will have primary responsibility for all client matters undertaken.

Students enrolled in the Trademark Clinic will also participate in class meetings that focus on the lawyering skills necessary to effectively represent clients. In addition to discussing client interviewing and counseling, students will also focus on the substantive areas of law relevant to the legal matters being handled, including issues of professional responsibility. The weekly class meetings are mandatory.

How does this fit into my academic program?
Participation in the Trademark Clinic satisfies the Professional Skills graduation requirement. Students who participate in the spring, fall, or summer are eligible for 3 or 4 units of live client work (or a minimum of 2 units in the summer). Each unit is equivalent to 5 hours per week (10 hours per week for summer), totaling 15 or 20 hours per week for client representation. Work within the clinic space is required and students are expected to be available to meet with clients during their designated clinic hours. The mandatory clinical seminar counts for an additional 2 units in the spring and fall, or 1 unit in the summer.

What is required to participate?
To participate in the Trademark Clinic, students must have successfully completed Professional Responsibility and Civil Procedure I. Concurrent enrollment or completion of Evidence and Civil Procedure II is also required.

Students must also be eligible to become a California certified law student. To become a California certified law student, students must have completed their first year of law school, be in good standing, and have successfully completed or be concurrently enrolled in Civil Procedure II and Evidence. Once admitted into the Trademark Clinic, students will apply to become a California certified law student. To learn more about becoming a California certified law student, visit the California bar website.

Please do not begin filling out an application to become California certified until you are formally enrolled in the Trademark Clinic: there are only have a few slots, so not everyone who applies will be enrolled.

How do I apply?
To be admitted into the clinic, you must send a formal letter indicating your interest in working with the Trademark Clinic, a resume, and an unofficial transcript to bnieman@tjsl.edu. The letter should be addressed to Professor Eric Lane, Supervising Attorney for the Trademark Clinic, and must include a date and signature. The letter should communicate successful completion or concurrent enrollment of the required pre-requisite classes and also describe why you want to participate in the clinic, including any past experiences with small businesses or future plans to work in a transactional law practice setting.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all spots are filled, with an ultimate deadline of January 9, 2015. Applicants may be required to be interviewed by the supervising attorney of the clinic before a final selection is made.

Please register for any other courses you are interested in taking, as you are not guaranteed a slot in the clinic once you apply. If you are accepted, you can then add/drop units as needed. Do not waitlist yourself for the class. Visit the Trademark Clinic for more information.